Baby dolphin dies after being plucked from water for selfies

A group of beachgoers in Argentina have killed a baby dolphin after lifting it out of the water so it could be paraded for a gratuitous procession of selfies.

Photographs show a cluster of people, some armed with smartphones, others reaching forward to touch the small trapped mammal, crowding around a man who holds the Franciscana dolphin aloft like a trophy.

The baby dolphin's thick layer of fat meant it dehydrated and quickly perished after it was pulled from the ocean, said a local wildlife protection agency.

An eager throng of people crowd the Franciscana dolphin for selfies and to pet the mammal. Source: Hernan Coria (Facebook) ()

Wildlife Foundation condemned the actions of the crowd, which follows another recent incident of a dolphin being dragged from the water at the same beach, The Telegraph reports.

"Recently photographs taken in Santa Teresita showing a group of people passing a dolphin around on dry land on two occasions have emerged. At least one of these animals has died," the organisation said in a statement.

"This incident should help the public understand the urgent need to return these dolphins to the sea when they get close to the shore."